Best Solar Generators & Portable Power Stations UK 2026
A 'solar generator' is two products sold together. It is a portable power station, which is a large lithium battery with mains sockets, plus a folding solar panel to recharge it. Used well, the pair gives quiet, fume-free power for camping, caravans, garden offices and short power cuts. This guide sits in our solar generators and power stations hub.
The hard part is sizing, which our post on what size portable power station you need covers step by step. Brand headlines focus on watt-hours, yet battery chemistry, output in watts and recharge speed matter just as much. Below we rank picks by role, then show the arithmetic so you can size a unit yourself. We choose from published specifications and have not tested these products, as our page on how we choose explains.
If you only need to top up a phone, a power station is overkill, so read about portable solar chargers first, or compare a solar power bank with a folding solar panel. To see where your power goes at home, look at home energy monitors. For lighting a garden without mains, see solar garden lighting.
The verdict
For most buyers, a 1kWh unit with LiFePO4 cells is the sensible middle. The Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 lists 1,070Wh and 1,500W, and the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Classic lists 1,024Wh and 1,800W. Go smaller for weekends away. However, go larger if you need a fridge-freezer to ride through a long outage.
Our picks by role
Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 / EcoFlow DELTA 3 Classic (about 1kWh)
Both list about 1kWh of LiFePO4 storage: 1,070Wh for the Jackery and 1,024Wh for the EcoFlow. Their listed outputs of 1,500W and 1,800W suit a fridge, laptop and lights together, while larger loads need a bigger unit.
- Jackery lists 4,000 cycles for the Explorer 1000 v2
- EcoFlow lists 0 to 80% in 45 minutes from the mains
- Jackery lists a full charge in as little as one hour
- Larger and heavier than a 250-300Wh unit
- Solar panels are an extra cost
EcoFlow RIVER 2 / RIVER 3 / Jackery Explorer 300 Plus (about 250-300Wh)
The EcoFlow RIVER 2 lists 256Wh, 300W and 3.5kg, while the RIVER 3 lists 245Wh and the Jackery Explorer 300 Plus lists 288Wh, both also at 300W.
- EcoFlow lists the RIVER 2 at 0 to 100% in 60 minutes
- The Jackery Explorer 300 Plus lists LFP cells
- 3.5kg for the RIVER 2 (EcoFlow listing)
- A 300W output limit rules out most heating appliances
- The RIVER 2 page we cite is a refurbished listing, so check current stock
EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max or DELTA Pro 3 / Bluetti AC200L / Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 (2kWh and up)
These units start at about 2kWh, with listed outputs from 2,200W to 4,000W. Several expand, for example the DELTA 3 Max from 2 to 10kWh and the DELTA Pro 3 from 4 to 12kWh.
- High listed output for several appliances at once
- Expandable on several models
- Bluetti lists 3,000+ cycles to 80% for the AC200L
- Heavy: Bluetti lists the AC200L at 28.3kg
- Powering house circuits needs a transfer switch fitted by an electrician
200W folding solar panel (add-on)
Because sunlight is the limit, a 200W panel is a common partner for a 1kWh unit. PVGIS gives about 820Wh on an average June day in London and about 230Wh in December, at a good fixed angle.
- Jackery lists its SolarSaga 200W at IP68
- Folds for carrying
- No fuel and no noise
- Winter output is a fraction of summer output
- A panel laid flat gathers far less in winter than one tilted towards the sun
How to size a power station
Start with the watts of each device and the hours you will use it. Multiply the two to get watt-hours (Wh). For example, a 60W device used for 5 hours needs 300Wh.
Fridges need a different method because the compressor switches on and off. Instead of the nameplate watts, take the annual kWh from the energy label and divide by 365. As an illustration, a label of 150kWh a year works out at about 410Wh a day. Allow some headroom as well, because conversion losses mean you cannot use every listed watt-hour.
As a rule of thumb, 250-300Wh covers phones, lights and a laptop for a weekend. A 1kWh unit adds a small fridge for a short outage. Above 2kWh is home-backup territory, which our Jackery vs EcoFlow vs Bluetti comparison covers in more detail.
Battery chemistry and cycle life
The current models we checked list LiFePO4 cells, also called LFP. Bluetti lists the AC200L at 3,000+ cycles to 80% of original capacity, and Jackery lists the Explorer 1000 v2 at 4,000 cycles. EcoFlow's DELTA 3 Classic page quotes ten years of use rather than a cycle count.
However, these figures are not like for like. Bluetti states the 80% end point, while the Jackery listing we read does not. Jackery also says its Explorer 240 v2 moved from NCM to LFP cells, so check the chemistry on older or discounted stock.
Charging from solar in the UK
Sunlight is the limit in Britain. PVGIS is the EU's free solar estimator. For London it gives a 200W panel about 820Wh on an average June day and about 230Wh in December. That assumes a south-facing panel at a 35 degree tilt and 14% system losses.
So refilling a 1,070Wh unit from empty takes roughly 1.3 average June days, but about 4.7 average December days (1,070 divided by 820, and by 230). Real folding panels lie flatter and pick up shade, so treat these as best cases. Outdoor kit needs a weather rating too, and our post on IP ratings explained shows how to read one. Most owners therefore top up from the mains and use solar to extend a trip. If you only charge phones, a lighter solar power bank and folding panel is the simpler choice.
Solar generator or home battery?
A portable power station is not a fixed home battery. Home systems are wired into the consumer unit by an installer. Even EcoFlow's DELTA Pro 3 page says its manual transfer switch needs a certified electrician.
If you want to cut bills with rooftop solar, that is a fixed-battery question. A portable unit gives movable power for a tent or a fridge during a cut. To see what your home actually draws, start with the home energy monitor guide, and for garden lighting without mains read the solar garden lights guide.
Who it's for
- Campers and caravanners who want quiet power without a petrol generator
- Anyone who wants a few hours of fridge and broadband cover in a power cut
- Van-lifers, market traders and photographers working away from the mains
- Not for whole-house, all-day backup, which is a fixed home-battery job
How we chose these picks
We compared manufacturers' published specifications with independent sources. We have not physically tested these products. Every figure here is therefore a published claim or a sum we show. Read the full method on how we choose.
Sources
- EcoFlow DELTA 3 Classic (1024Wh) product page, UK store — EcoFlow UK
- EcoFlow DELTA 3 Max series (2048Wh) product page, UK store — EcoFlow UK
- EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 product page, UK store — EcoFlow UK
- EcoFlow RIVER 2 (refurbished) product page: 256Wh, 300W, 3.5kg — EcoFlow UK
- EcoFlow RIVER 3 product page: 245Wh, 300W — EcoFlow UK
- Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 product page: 1070Wh, 1500W, 4000 cycles — Jackery UK
- Jackery Explorer 300 Plus product page: 288Wh, 300W, LFP — Jackery UK
- Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 product page: 2042Wh, 2200W — Jackery UK
- Jackery Explorer 240 v2 product page: change from NCM to LFP cells — Jackery UK
- Jackery SolarSaga 200W solar panel product page: IP68 — Jackery UK
- BLUETTI AC200L product page, UK store: 2,048Wh, 2,400W, 3,000+ cycles to 80%, 28.3kg — BLUETTI UK
- PVGIS photovoltaic estimates (EU Joint Research Centre), PVGIS-SARAH3, 2005 to 2023, fixed panel, 35 degree tilt, south-facing, 14% system losses — European Commission Joint Research Centre
Disclosure: We don't use affiliate or sponsored links and we don't run ads, so we earn nothing from the products we mention. Our picks are chosen on published specifications, not payments.